Happy Anniversary

Today is our anniversary.  15 years.

Seems like a long time . . . and yet, I tell my kids, it feels like it was just yesterday when Stefan and I were out kissing behind the high school.  (By the way, when we see high school students holding hands or kissing now, we just shake our heads and say, “THOSE KIDS DON’T HAVE A CLUE!)

That was then.

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This is now.

A lot has changed.

One wedding, two college degrees, three states, several jobs, six kids, 5,616 days of changing diapers,  our own parking spot at the emergency room, our own pew in church, 3 gerbils, 1 frog, 4 dogs, 1 cat, 1 bearded dragon, one camping trip too many, a whole lot of football games, girl scout badges, dance recitals, boxes of shoes, swimming lessons, family vacations, piles of books and boxes of pictures . . . .

We have survived broken arms, a baseball bat to the head, a razor to the lips, one car accident, hypothermia, a tick . . . several ticks . . . falls from trees, falls from roller skates, falls from the monkey bars . . . lack of sleep, a tonsillectomy, hurt feelings, scraped knees, the flu . . .  and lots goodbye’s . . .

We have laughed together, cried together, yelled at each other, laughed at each other, played together, rode bikes together, cut down Christmas trees together, made cookies together, laughed together, ignored each other, pushed each other, laughed together, prayed together, sang songs together, hurt each other, laughed together . . . . forgave each other . . .

We have built a life together.

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Sometimes I wake up and don’t know if I can make it another day . . . each day seemingly harder than the day before.  Some days I wake up, and pray that God would slow down time.  Some days, life seems so long, and other days go by too fast.  Tomorrow is the start of a hard season.  I am so excited for what is to come, and at the same time, I am wishing it was already over.  I tucked my kids into bed last night, praying that when it is all said and done, our family will be closer, stronger, and happier  . . . that we will learn from each other, encourage one another, and grow together.

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Fifteen years ago, I was just “me.”  Now, I am am an eight-family.

It is good to remember where we came from.  Good to remember the promises we made to one another.  It is good to look back and see how we have changed.  It is good to look forward and dream for the future.

And that is exactly what Lee and Elizabeth did this year for their 25th wedding anniversary.

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Twenty-five years ago, these two were married.  Now, in front of their family and friends, with their daughters standing up for them, Lee and Elizabeth vowed to continue loving each other, forgiving each other, laughing, crying, dreaming, and growing old together.  They stood up together, and remembered where they once were . . . remembered the promises they spoke to each other, and vowed to continue to keep them.  It was an incredibly beautiful day that Stefan and I are were so honored to be a part of.  Enjoy this peek into their day . . . Happy anniversary!

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To see all of the pictures from their vow renewal ceremony, CLICK HERE!